The victory was due in large part to a career day from tailback Shonn Greene, who shredded the Colts defense for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.

“The offensive line was doing a great job and we were getting press at the line of scrimmage,” Greene said. “Guys were working hard and everything clicked.”

Andrew Luck and the Colts offense found moderate success moving the ball in the open field, but struggled turning drives into touchdowns. On their second drive of the game, Luck managed to get his team down to the Jets’ 10-yard line, but badly overthrew tight end Coby Fleener on third down, forcing a 20-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal.

“We tried to get our hands on Reggie (Wayne) and confuse Luck at the same time, to take away his number one read,” Antonio Cromartie said, explaining the Jets’ strategy against Luck. “I think we did a great job of that.”

The Jets’ first score came on what was perhaps their best drive of the season. Thanks largely to an inspired string of runs by Greene, they were able to march 80 yards on 14 plays. The series was capped off by a quick five-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Stephen Hill, putting the Jets up 7-3.

“It was good coverage, but Stephen made a great play,” Sanchez said.

Cromartie picked off Luck on the next series and appeared to take the ball 33 yards the other way for a touchdown, but that score was nullified by an unnecessary roughness penalty on Aaron Maybin. Regardless, the play gave the Jets great field position, and Greene scored on a 10-yard run six plays later.

The seven-year veteran Cromartie had another pick-six called back on the next Colts drive, when he was flagged for pass interference on Wayne.

“Looking up at the Jumbotron, I did sort of grab him when I turned my head around,” Cromartie admitted.

After a Vinatieri field goal with 3:41 left in the first half, it appeared as if the Jets offense had stalled on the Colts’ 40-yard line. Instead of punting, however, the Jets snapped the ball to personal punt protector Tim Tebow, who found linebacker Nick Bellore over the middle for a 17-yard first down. That set up a five-yard strike from Sanchez to Jason Hill, putting the Jets up 21-6 at half.

“It’s a little hard to catch a ball when you’re wide open,” Bellore said with a laugh. “You see the ball rotate a little slower.”

Greene struck again with 3:54 left in the third, putting the exclamation point on a seven-play, 91-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, it looked for a moment like the Colts were about to put a touchdown on the board after putting together a nice drive, but with 7:53 left in the game, corner Ellis Lankster picked off Luck in the end zone.

Greene got his third touchdown of the day on a two-yard dive with just over a minute left in the game, after Mohammed Wilkerson forced a Luck fumble deep in Colts territory.

With Greene carrying so much of the offensive load, Sanchez finished 11 for 18 for 82 yards and the two touchdowns. Luck was 22 for 44 for 280 yards and two picks.

The win also gives the Jets a bit of momentum at a time when it looks like they really need it. Next week, they travel north to take on the division-leading New England Patriots in Foxboro.